Annapolis Update — 1/11/13

This week marks the beginning of my third legislative session representing you in Annapolis. As such, I write to update you on some of my legislative priorities for the next three months:

First, some good news. This week, Maryland’s schools were ranked first in the nation for the fifth year in a row. This is a testament to the tireless dedication of our teachers and school administrators and years of policy that have prioritized education in our state. I’m proud to live in Maryland where sending my children to public school is a privilege rather than a compromise. As long as I represent you in Annapolis, promoting and implementing sound education policy will be one of my chief priorities.

Ensuring that “fracking”–a process of natural gas extraction that has contaminated water and caused earthquakes–never occurs in Maryland, will also be a focus of mine this year. I have not seen evidence that fracking can be done safely, and it is bad policy to proceed as though there are no public health concerns associated with the practice. Furthermore, we should be spending more time and energy focusing on promoting investment in renewable energy sources. To that end, I will be supporting Governor O’Malley’s wind power initiative. As a member of the Environmental Matters Committee, I feel a particular responsibility to be working on these issues and hope that you will contact me with any ideas you have to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels.

My inbox has been flooded with inquiries regarding potential gun control efforts. In the wake of the unspeakable tragedy in Newtown, I think it is clear that we need to do what we can in Maryland to restrict access to assault weapons. As President Obama said: “No single law, no set of laws can eliminate evil from the world or prevent every senseless act of violence in our society, but that can’t be an excuse for inaction…If there’s even one step we can take to save another child or another parent or another town from the grief that’s visited Tucson and Aurora and Oak Creek and Newtown and communities from Columbine to Blacksburg before that, then surely we have an obligation to try.

“We also have an opportunity this session to abolish the death penalty. In short, I feel that the practice is immoral–the risk of executing an innocent man or woman is too high to continue instituting capital punishment. DNA testing has cast doubts on numerous prior cases, an unfortunate fact that should serve to remind us that our justice system, while undoubtedly one of the world’s best, is not infallible.

As always, please continue to contact my office with your ideas and concerns. I am in Annapolis to serve you and look forward to getting to know more of my constituents this session.

Best,
Shane

p.s.- Next week, I will be updating you on the bills I plan to file this year.